Rear Window, By Alfred Hitchcock And The Last Laugh

The Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock is a very interesting movie, once you start to watch the movie you are pulled into the curiosity of L.B. Jefferies’ voyeuristic antics as he spends the majority of the film watching his neighbor’s actions and everyday life at home. This emersion that we get drawn into with Jefferies antics, we almost feel guilty for watch him watch his neighbors which is the intended purpose. Voyeurism will has always had a social taboo feeling, throughout this movie Hitchcock portrays the curious nature of human voyeurism.

The film Rear Window, released in 1954, and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, portrays the shift of power in the relationship between the central characters of Lisa Freemont and L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries throughout the film. As the characters are introduced in the beginning of the film, Jeffries is shown to have control of the relationship between himself and Miss Freemont, the power later shifts to Lisa as the film progresses and she takes an interest in the suspected murder. However, the film ends with relative equality within the relationship, after Lisa's intelligence is discovered by her partner.

In Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” Jefferies apartment is the sole viewpoint to the outside world for the audience. We rarely see anything that isn’t from Jefferies immediate surroundings or directly from his point of view. This gives Jefferies, and in turn the viewers, a detached sense of realism from the world of the apartment complex opposite . This detachment is apparent to throughout the movie as many characters state to Jefferies that what he’s doing is morally wrong. However, the line of moral and immoral conduct is pushed as Jefferies continues to watch his neighbours and ultimately becomes directly involved in the

At the beginning of the film, a camera movement reveals Jeff´s profession and why he is immobilized in a wheel-chair. He is a photographer, interested in looking at other´s lives; consequently, he could be described as a voyeur. Across a very limited space- the courtyard

In the movie, Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock uses the story of a cripple free lance photographer, Jeff Jeffries, to explain the twisted sense of society in the 1950’s. Hitchcock uses clever things from the way the apartments are being filmed to the dialogue between Jeffries, Lisa, and Stella to show societies interest in pain, tragedy, and discomfort, and in the end you see how tragedy is what makes everyone happy.

Like many of his films, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) is an intense study in the sometimes-jarring idiosyncrasies of its main character, L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart). Jeffries is an observer by nature, a professional photographer confined to his apartment by an injury, with only insurance company nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) and his girlfriend, Lisa Fremont (Grace Kelly) for company. This limitation impels him to begin observing his neighbors, and he witnesses events that lead him to believe Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) has murdered his wide. However, Jeffries’ watchful habit raises serious questions about the relationships between neighbors and ethics of observation in densely-populated urban settings. Rear Window uses set design and disparate camera techniques to codify the acceptable and unacceptable ways in which a city dweller might observe their neighbors, based largely on level on intent.

It would be true to say that our window is the physical screen and the film is the “window on the world”, as Elsaesser puts it (13). Yet we perceive the screen as a portal that brings us into the world of the film.  Given the nature of human perception, the two-dimensional screen becomes a three-dimensional world for viewers in a movie theatre.  This construct is what makes the cinema of the window so powerful with regard concept of the screen as the window and the audience as the people looking through it.  The metaphor has a cumulative richness of meaning that far exceeds the two simple, standalone principles that bring it to life.  The window the cinema provides us is one that can transport people to realm that would not exist or that they would not have access to. While lost within the film, an audience is able to experience a wide range of emotions and connections that result from this entertaining departure, and these emotions often bear no correlation to their emotional reality in everyday life outside the theatre. This same concept applies to Jefferies in Rear Window. His perception is arrested by outside actions that he can observe, but not get involved in.  The courtyard offers mental and emotional escape as he copes with a difficult period in his recovery. Jeffries fascinates himself with events other than what is actually going on in his life, as these events become a vital escape from his immediate physical

Gender ideologies are apparent in all areas of life. Whether it be online, in TV shows, movies or in person, this idea of a specific role for each gender is almost inescapable. The stereotypes of both what women and men should aspire to be and follow are ever changing in today’s current society. However, in 1954, gender roles were very specific and it is shown throughout the film, Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Through this film, gender ideologies are challenged but ultimately remain unshattered. The film produces an obvious view of women as the caretakers, and fragile in comparison to men who are the main providers. As the plot of Rear Window develops, characters continue to maintain the time periods gender ideologies despite the challenges they overcome.

The film Rear Window addresses cinematic themes throughout the entire film, specifically throughout the last fifteen minutes. The movie ultimately uses cinematography to heavily describe the dramatic plot regarding Jeff, Mr. Thorwald, and the intense discoveries found when eavesdropping from the rear window. Film making techniques such as cinematography, mise en scene, sound, and more are all cinematic elements included in the film that influence aspects of the films stylistic system. The last fifteen minutes of Rear Window are heavily focused on the cinematic elements, specifically the movement, angles and shot duration of the camera during the suspenseful moments during Jeff’s plan to prove Mr. Throwald is a murderer. Mise en scene plays an important role in the entire film, Hitchcock uses mise en scene to symbolize many things; and is also heavily included in the last fifteen minutes of the film regarding lighting, props and more. Rear Window is a tremendously suspenseful film and uses both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds throughout; Hitchcock used more diegetic sounds through the

During times of disorder, it is natural to feel a sense of fear and loneliness that requires you to search for control in your life. These emotions send you to the point of having to isolate yourself, as you believe if you do so, you have control over your life. In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 psychodrama film “The Birds”, Melanie is a young woman who travels to Bodega Bay to reunite herself with a stranger by the name of Mitch. Melanie uncovers that he had a romantic relationship with Annie, the woman she claims to have come to town for. Annie advises Melanie that her relationship with him did not last due to Lydia, his mother, fearing that he will leave her now that her husband has passed away. As Melanie and Mitch’s relationship begins to develop, birds within the town being to attack them along with everyone else who lives in Bodega Bay. Melanie, Mitch, and the town’s people begin to question why the birds are attacking them. Annie’s body is discovered outside her house as a result from her being killed by birds. By the end of the film, Melanie and Lydia have a close relationship leave the bird infested town with Mitch and his sister Cathy. Alfred Hitchcock uses the these three women to remind us that chaos will always enter our lives no matter what actions we take to keep order, but deep relationships will help overcome the feelings of fear and loneliness.

For every action a person takes, there is usually a purpose behind it. The riskier and more dangerous an action, the more motive that individual must have to continue. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film, Rear Window, is a riveting thriller that is based on Cornell Woolrich’s short story “It Had to be Murder”.  This film tells a narrative about an adventurous photographer, Jeffries played by James Stewart, who after breaking his leg is forced to remain shackled to a wheelchair within his home. To cope with boredom, he takes the liberty of observing his neighbors through one of his windows. It is through this pastime that he comes to believe that one of his neighbor might be guilty of murdering his wife. Throughout the rest of the film Jeffries decides to investigate his neighbor, in an attempt to bring him to justice. Jeffries is however met with skepticism and obstacles. While any other individual might have succumbed to the skepticism, Jeffries does not. Throughout the film we come know his character more, and we can analyze what part of his personality started the whole ordeal and which traits drives him to finish his investigation.

Often times, throughout many of Alfred Hitchcock films, I find myself very intrigued to the development of how the story unfolds. The difference between Vertigo (1958) and the other films that we have watched, is that this film has more unanswered questions and a darker meaning. Personally, I did not really like how the story of Vertigo was filmed. And of course this is just my own opinion, which can be argued based on your own experience with the film. For instance, throughout the majority of the film, all we see is John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson (James Stewart), follow Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) all around the San Francisco area.

People like to watch other people and are often quick to make judgments from what they see. This is what L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries does Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”. Jeff is a wheelchair-bound photographer who is used to an active lifestyle. Because of his boredom, Jeff spends his time looking out his window and watching his neighbors go about their life. However, Jeff does more than watch, because he at the same time he is also making judgments about who his neighbors are and what they must be like. This leads to Jeff becoming obsessed with the disappearance of the wife of his neighbor Mr. Thorwald, because he believed that he murdered her.

The opening images of Rear Window introduces the audience to J.B. Jefferies apartment with the window curtains rising. The camera is facing outside the window which reveals the small courtyard. After the camera gives the audience a tour of the courtyard, it then shows us Jeff sleeping on his wheel chair. From this, the audience should be able to perceive there is no privacy at all for the neighbors. What one does, everyone is able to see (only if they are observing). The music in the beginning sets the mood, the audience should feel safe and mellow as if nothing bad is going to happen. There is not one suspicion which tells the audience there will be a murder case throughout this film. With that in mind, the theme is portrayed through Jeff’s perspective from his observation of the neighbors. He observes the love life of his neighbors while he is questioning his own

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (Wes Anderson, 2014) combines a perfect mix of nostalgia and history. The film explores the themes of war as it recreates history through mise-en-scene. Anderson also incorporates other themes such as racism and elitism during pre-war Europe. The film widely explores Europe from many viewpoints, one of which is of Mr Moustafa. His nostalgia is seen through flashbacks of when he was a lobby boy that went by the name of Zero. As an audience the depth of his nostalgia is seen through mise-en-scene. With the help of cinematography and props we see can see the time and place that Moustafa acknowledges. Anderson shows how history is reimagined through ones nostalgia. Mr Moustafa recalls events, which he was not present in yet he explains them as if he were there. This also shows how one reimagines history from another due to emotions and personal attachment. Despite the outcome being the same there are many viewpoints it can be seen from.